GE to invest up to $10M in Penn State

"Natural gas is extremely important as a domestic energy source for the United States and continues to serve as a crucial element in revitalizing Pennsylvania's economy," said US Congressman Glenn Thompson. "I fully support the work that Penn State and GE will be doing through CCRINGSS to support new research innovations and create real-world applications that will build upon existing partnerships led by the University to make a positive impact on the industry and the communities of Pennsylvania."

Recent data from the US Energy Information Administration shows US natural gas proved reserves increased to an all-time high in 2013, with the largest net increases coming from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, driven by continued development of the Marcellus Shale play, the largest US shale gas play based on proved reserves.

Combined, these two states added 21.8 tcf of natural gas proved reserves in 2013 (13.5 tcf in Pennsylvania and 8.3 tcf in West Virginia) and were 70% of the net increase in proved natural gas reserves in 2013.

"We are excited to announce the creation of this new center," said Penn State president Eric Barron. "CCRINGSS will pull together Penn State's expertise in natural-gas-related technologies, data analytics, and supply chain management. By gaining a deep understanding of the complex shale gas supply chain and by creating new technologies, the center will aim to produce tangible benefits to the natural gas industry as well as the communities impacted by that industry, from the points of extraction right through to the energy that reaches consumers."

The new center will combine the expertise of faculty across four Penn State colleges-the Smeal College of Business and the Colleges of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Engineering, and Information Sciences and Technology-and multiple centers and institutes, including the Center for Supply Chain Research (CSCR) and the Institute for Natural Gas Research (INGaR).

"The growth of the natural gas industry will be driven by technologies and a future workforce that can navigate and access tougher-to-reach resources in cleaner, better ways," said GE senior vice president and chief technology officer Mark Little. "CCRINGSS will provide a bridge to both for the oil and gas industry, creating a pipeline of promising research development and engineering talent with the skills and imagination to produce results."

GE's investment will support a range of initiatives, including center-aligned research projects, acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, and undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellowships. Through CCRINGSS, GE's support will also create new educational and outreach programs, such as a graduate certificate program that would link supply chain and data analytics with technical aspects of the energy industry.

GE will help shape the initial direction of research and programs within the center through co-designed workshops and showcases, a web-based collaboration interface, project proposal evaluation, engineers in residence, technical and managerial collaborations, student and faculty internships, and industry-specific career fairs.

Central to CCRINGSS' vision will be the collaboration of researchers in technical areas of chemical, petroleum, and materials engineering with those in the fields of supply chain management, data analytics, and decision making.

"This kind of interdisciplinary collaboration can potentially lead to a more seamless integration of the technologies into the natural gas infrastructure," Barron said. "Penn State students will be involved in much of this activity, interacting with industry professionals and faculty members through real-world projects that will help make them well-prepared and highly sought-after graduates."